This text contains chapters covering a variety of legal issues. The first section deals with contractual matters, including joint venture contracts, agreements relating to agency, distribution, licensing and franchising, time sharing and preliminary agreements regarding the buying and selling of property. The second section deals with the privatization of former state-owned companies and monopolies, such as media organizations. Under the heading of "Corporate Law", joint stock companies, sub-chapter S corporations, takeovers and new company legislation are discussed. The section on securities and investment deals, in particular, with the area of foreign investment, including tax incentives and the regulation of investments. There is also a section on taxation, which concentrates on offshore jurisdictions, and a section on general commercial issues. The topics covered in this final section vary to include technology transfer, evidential procedures, free trade areas, the regulation of resources, anti-trust matters, dispute resolution and new commercial legislation.

This study deals with the role of national parliaments in the perspective of European integration. It examines the relationship between national parliaments and the European Parliament. In order to find a solution to the problem of the democratic deficit in the EU, the author concludes that it is vital for European integration to create an efficient decision making process which is best served by centralization and majority voting. However, this runs counter to democratic legitimation, which is dependent on institutions at the national level.

This book is the result of the successful collaboration between two research networks: the Housing Law Working Group of the European Network for Housing Research (ENHR) and the TENLAW research network. It deals with evictions, their social background and regulation under procedural and human rights law; housing problems of indigenous and ethnic minorities and immigrants; the relationship between landlords, tenants and agents and the private rental sector; housing satisfaction and the instruments and models to measure it; and finally national instances of the European housing crises in Spain, Germany and Romania. The contributions in this volume will further enhance the understanding of housing law and rights, and provide useful materials for future comparative analysis. Houses, Homes and the Law is the third volume in the series that seeks to examine the many facets of housing law from a variety of academic and professional perspectives.

'The fields of comparative administrative law and its close cousin, regulatory law, are now experiencing the explosion that occurred a while ago in comparative constitutional law. This Bignami and Zaring volume provides both excellent introduction into these newest developments and a record of substantial research achievements.' - Martin Shapiro, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law Regulation today is global. It affects everything from e-commerce to product safety to air quality and much more. How is regulation made and enforced in the multiple domestic and international jurisdictions called upon to address the problems of international markets and global society? To understand the global regulatory process, it is necessary to move beyond conventional sub-fields of law like administrative law and international law. Drawing on contributions from an international team of leading scholars with diverse subject and country expertise, Comparative Law and Regulation introduces a new field of legal research geared at understanding the operation of the regulatory process across the world. The volume affords cutting-edge analysis of the entire gamut of regulatory law: rulemaking by bureaucracies, legislatures, and private bodies; oversight by public and private actors; civil and criminal enforcement; and judicial review. The chapters cover over thirty different domestic and international jurisdictions, including the United States, Germany, the European Union, India, China, South Korea, Colombia, the World Trade Organization, and private investor-state arbitral tribunals. The theoretical and methodological innovations introduced in this book will make it compulsory reading for scholars of public law, comparative law, and international law as well as those working in public policy, political science, and economics. For legal professionals in government agencies and the private sector, it affords both a useful theoretical framing of the complex issues involved in international and comparative regulation and an up-to-date overview of the legal and technical aspects. Contributors include: J. Baert Wiener, F. Bignami, A.R. Chapman, C. Coglianese, E.A. Feldman, C. Fish, L. Forman, J. Fowkes, D.A. Hensler, H.C.H. Hofmann, C.-Y. Huang, R.D. Kelemen, E. Lamprea, D.S. Law, D. Lima Ribeiro, J. Ohnesorge, L. Peter, S. Rose-Ackerman, G. Shaffer, J.L. Short, S. Smismans, B. Van Rooij, W. Wagner, B. Worthy, J. Yackee, D. Zaring

The 2004 volume of the "Comparative Law Yearbook of International Business" contains a wide variety of topics of interest to international commercial lawyers and their clients. Various areas of Company Law are discussed, including mergers and acquisitions, piercing the corporate veil and the financing of share acquisitions. The Yearbook also contains several chapters on investments and securities, including the need for corporate governance in this area, and the role of collective investment schemes in Bermuda. Some chapters deal with the introduction of new technology into the realm of commerce, particularly new legislation relating to e-commerce and the Competition Law issues encountered by the telecommunications industry. The introduction and effects of new legislation generally are also addressed, including the new Ukrainian Commercial Code and Brazilian Civil Code. In addition to discussions on intellectual property, arbitration and asset protection, the Yearbook contains a section on real property rights, including a very interesting comparison between the way in which China and Indonesia view property rights, and the treatment received by such rights in Western society. Various areas of law are also looked at from a European point of view, such as the increase in America-style asbestos litigation in Europe, the hiring out of workers within Europe and the effect of the European Convention on Human Rights upon business. With the ever-increasing introduction of new technology, the expansion of global communications, new attitudes towards business and commerce and increased awareness of personal and property rights, there is a constant need for the law to develop in order to adequately deal with these issues. The yearbook branches out into some of the innovative and topical areas of contemporary law, and should be of great interest to anyone involved in modern-day business.

The relationship between the national and international has been central in the debate on the impact of globalisation on national patterns of employment relations. While some industrial relations researchers in recent years have put forward evidence not of convergence, but rather of continuing national diversity in employment relations, others see a complex power-sharing interplay emerging for which Europe is the laboratory. This ground-breaking book asks: Do EU or European industrial relations exist? What characterises EU industrial relations and their development? What are the differences between EU industrial relations and national industrial relations?Twelve outstanding authorities from seven countries discuss the theme from a variety of perspectives. Originally presented at an international and interdisciplinary research workshop held at the Faculty of Law at Lund University in November 2007, the essays probe a range of highly topical and important legal and industrial relations issues and developments, including the implications of the epochal and much-debated Laval and Viking cases from the European Court of Justice. The focus is on the EU dimension of industrial relations, common to the Member States, and not on comparative European industrial relations. The authors raise and discuss such crucial issues as the following:A* the power relationship and interactions between the social partners within the framework of the social dialogue;A* growing problems of posting of workers, low wage competition, and 'social dumping';A* approaches to creating an EU legal framework for transnational collective agreements; A* the right to take industrial action in order to achieve collective agreements; A* the fundamental asymmetry between the scope of action of players in companies and territories affected by restructurings;A* information, consultation and worker participation;A* potential benefits of increased tripartite co-operation between the social partners and governments; A* compatibility of the Swedish or Nordic system with the four freedoms and its eligibility as a European model; andA* issues of private international law arising from collective actions with transnational implications.An appendix includes relevant EC legislation and the ECJ opinions in Laval and Viking.E U Industrial Relations vs National Industrial Relations explores an emerging and still inchoate realm of law that is heavily fraught with implications for the near future of social relations, not only in Europe but worldwide. Labour lawyers and policymakers will greatly appreciate its precise stocktaking, its insightful analysis, and its well-informed recommendations on how to proceed in the realm of practical law.

In 1992, the Section on Business Law of the International Bar Association established a Task Force on Economic Consequences of Litigation Worldwide to study and report on the different civil- and commercial-court systems throughout the world. The purpose of the Task Force was to evaluate the problems of civil litigation and propose solutions on a global scale, based on a comparative analysis of different jurisdictions, with a particular focus on commercial litigation and the economic consequences of litigation for worldwide business. The Task Force included representatives from the Asia Pacific region, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. The project was divided into three stages: fundamentals of commercial litigation, problems and consequences, and solutions and proposals for change. Arising from six years of study and effort by the Task Force, this book includes chapters on the Asia Pacific region (Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore), Canada, Europe (Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland), the United Kingdom and the United States. The book provides a study of the various court systems throughout the world, and problems and consequences of commercial litigation, together with analysis of proposed solutions.

Thirty years after the entry into force of the Directive on liability for defective products (Council Directive 85/374/EEC), and in the light of the threat to user safety posed by consumer goods that make use of new technologies, it is essential to assess and determine whether the Directive remains an adequate legal response to the phenomenon of products brought to market that fail to ensure appropriate levels of safety for their users.European Product Liability is the result of an extensive international research project funded by the Polish National Science Centre. It brings together experienced scholars associated with the European Group on Tort Law (EGTL) and the European Research Group on Existing EC Private Law (Acquis Group). Individual country reports analyse the implementation of the Directive in the domestic law of several EU and EEA Member States (namely Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland) and the relationship of the implemented rules with the already existing rules of tort law. The country reports show that the practical significance of product liability differs widely in the various Member States. Also taking into account non-EU countries (Canada, Israel, South Africa and the USA), this book examines whether EU law will ensure sufficient safety for individuals using goods that have been produced using new technologies that are currently under development, such as major advances in mechatronics, nanotechnology, regenerative medicine and contour crafting. Together with an economic analysis of product liability it makes the book valuable for academics, practitioners, policy makers and all those interested in the subject.

Comparative Law and Society, part of the Research Handbooks in Comparative Law series, is a pioneering volume that comprises 19 original essays written by expert authors from across the world. This innovative handbook offers both a history of the field of comparative law and society and a thorough exploration of its methods, disciplines, and major issues, presenting the most comprehensive look into this contemporary field to date. In Part I, Methods and Disciplines, contributors approach critical issues in comparative law and society from a variety of academic fields, including sociology, criminology, anthropology, economics, political science, and psychology. This multidisciplinary approach highlights the importance of addressing the variance of perspectives inherent to the field. In Part II, Core Issues, chapters offer an exploration of major legal institutions, processes, professionals, and cultures associated with particular legal subjects. Since authors utilize the perspective of at least two different legal systems, this book offers a truly thorough and wide-ranging focus. The general reader, as well as students and scholars, will find this handbook useful in their continuing explorations into the interaction between law and society. Practitioners such as lawyers and judges with an interest in global perspectives of law will also find much to admire in this innovative volume. Contributors: M. Adler, N. Brewer, D.S. Clark, R. Cotterrell, B.L. Cutler, T. Ginsburg, M. Goodale, C. Guarnieri, R. Horry, B. Luppi, S.C. McCaffrey, E. Mertz, D. Nelken, F. Pakes, M.A. Palmer, F. Parisi, J.T. Polk, J.C. Reitz, R.E. Salcido, S. Stendahl, J.C. Suk, G.A. Tarr, S.C. Thaman, K. van Aeken, H.J. Wiarda

More than merely an assembly of commentators and interpreters, the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law is a prestigious body that effects real change in courts, law reform commissions and governmental agencies. Its membership - including solicitors, barristers, notaries, judges and scholars, all experts in trusts, estate and inheritance law and/or tax law - highlights the contrasts and comparisons between the pertinent laws of civil and common law jurisdictions. This volume records the May 2001 conference in San Francisco, which focused on four main topics: the regulation of charitable organizations in major Western countries; the rules governing capacity to enter into transactions affecting property; the ability of creditors to reach assets that are held on behalf of another; and the issue of testamentary freedom versus forced heirship. This yearbook signals a departure from earlier volumes in that the papers under the fourth topic are after-the-fact essays, reflecting arguments and points of view originally presented in a debate between the four authors. As always, this annual continues to offer perspectives on issues of direct and immediate concern for both civil law and common law jurisdictions, and to engage the deep interest of researchers, academics, practitioners, law reform bodies, governmental groups and their advisers working in this complex and varied field of law.

This collection is the multifaceted result of an effort to learn from those who have been educated in an American law school and who then returned to their home countries to apply the lessons of that experience in nations experiencing social, economic, governmental, and legal transition. Written by an international group of scholars and practitioners, this work provides a unique insight into the ways in which legal education impacts the legal system in the recipient's home country, addressing such topics as efforts to influence the current style of legal education in a country and the resistance faced from entrenched senior faculty and the use of U.S. legal education methods in government and private legal practice. This book will be of significant interest not only to legal educators in the United States and internationally, and to administrators of legal education policy and reform, but also to scholars seeking a more in-depth understanding of the connections between legal education and socio-political change.

This survey of Islamic law combines Western and Islamic views and describes the relationship between the original theories of Islamic law and the views of contemporary Islamic writers. Covering the key topics in the area, including the history, sources and formation of Islamic law, the legal mechanisms, and the contemporary context, it is strong in its coverage of the modern perspective, which distinguishes this book from other texts in the field. The aim is to provide the student with a basic understanding of Islamic law and access to the complexity of the Islamic legal system. The language used is non-technical and understanding is aided with a supplementary detailed glossary and analytical indices.

This publication was inspired by the desire to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the Section on Business Law of the International Bar Association. Practising lawyers from all over the world have contributed to this book with their knowledge and expertise. The issues involved in the economic development process have been pursued with a practical approach. Bearing in mind that the legal system of each country is unique, that many countries are currently undergoing major programmes of legal reform, and that most development issues are country-specific, this study does not make any claim to comprehensiveness or coherency of treatment. It should serve as a source of practical information for a wide range of people interested in the legal aspects of development and investment issues, including the special issues associated with the use of foreign capital.

In Deutschland und Frankreich herrscht breiter Konsens, wirtschaftlich motivierte Spenden von Körpersubstanzen zu verhindern. Das Buch stellt die Unterschiede in der gesetzlichen Umsetzung dieses gemeinsamen Bestrebens rechtsvergleichend dar und stellt einen Kriterienkatalog auf, mit dessen Hilfe die Rechtsnatur von und die Rechte an Körpersubstanzen bestimmt werden können. Darauf basierend stellt der Autor die Legitimität eines allgemeinen Kommerzialisierungsverbotes in Frage und fordert zu einer Differenzierung nach Körpersubstanz, Art ihrer Gewinnung und konkreten Weiterverwendung auf. L'Allemagne et la France visent à protéger le corps humain et ses substances corporelles détachées des pratiques mercantiles. La présente étude consiste en une analyse comparative des différences dans la transposition légale de cet objectif commun. En outre, elle élabore des critères permettant d'établir le statut et le régime juridique des substances corporelles. Sur la base de ces constatations, l'auteur remet en question la légitimité du principe général de l'extra-commercialité des substances corporelles. Diese Arbeit enthält eine ausführliche Zusammenfassung in französischer Sprache.

The 2006 edition of the "Comparative Law Yearbook of International Business" examines issues in three major topic categories: Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Investment Vehicles, and Secured Interests in Immovables. Lawyers from Nigeria, the United States, and Ireland review the settlement of investment disputes, the impact of claims on non-United States companies, and claim and dispute resolution under FIDIC. Practitioners from Israel, Panama, Hong Kong, and Belgium treat investment vehicles such as trusts, foundations, and joint ventures and investment visas. Contributors from Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, and Mexico review the use of security in real property in their respective jurisdictions. Finally, lawyers from Brazil, Canada, the United States, Germany, South Africa, Ukraine, and Romania treat issues ranging from trade mark counterfeiting, registered designs, and telecommunications to criminality in international business transactions, outsourcing, and business immigration.

This study adopts a public policy perspective in its examination of the way capital market intermediaries fund their market operations in eight of the most dynamic countries of East and Southeast Asia: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Concerns about the ability of securities firms to fund themselves came into prominence in the world's major financial markets during the 1980s. It is striking that similar concerns had not surfaced about the Asian capital markets, particularly given the weakness of their money markets. As the forces limiting demand for funds change in the future, the financial systems examined will encounter problems in responding to the new demands for liquidity.

Enforcing Consumer and Capital Markets Law: The Diesel Emissions Scandal is an international and intradisciplinary work. On the example of one topical and global collective damage event with far reaching consequences for both consumers and investors, this work critically analyses the various approaches of public and private law enforcement and their effectiveness across several jurisdictions, namely those of Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, England and Wales, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, Brazil, China and the United States of America. Based on decided and pending cases, the book demonstrates to what extent public authorities, but also private claimants, can take effective steps against the violation of their rights in their respective jurisdictions. The following is examined: law enforcement by public institutions, law enforcement by private parties and overlaps as well as hybrids and connections between both areas. A particular focus is given to collective redress, that is representative actions and model case proceedings. Comments from renowned practitioners sharing their experiences are included throughout the book. Separate concluding comparative chapters have two different aims: A comparative analysis of the legal solutions with a supranational European Union level focus provides invaluable insights into best practices and effectiveness. In addition, an intradisciplinary comparison assesses and evaluates the effectiveness of consumer law vs capital markets law mechanisms. Furthermore mechanisms of competition law and company law are taken into account. With contributions by Willem H. van Boom (University of Leiden), Peter Cashman (3 Wentworth Chambers; University of New South Wales), Tanja Domej (University of Zurich), Marcello Gaboardi (Bocconi University Milan), Beate Gsell (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munich; Munich Higher Regional Court), Jutta Gurkmann (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V.), Patrick Honegger-Muntener (University of Zurich), Emmanuel Jeuland (University Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne), Remigijus Jokubauskas (Court of Appeal of Lithuania), Georg E. Kodek (Vienna University of Economics and Business), Lene Kohl (Osborne Clarke, Berlin), Petra Leupold (VKI-Academy), Claudia Lima Marques (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul), Caroline Meller-Hannich (Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg), Thomas M.J. Moellers (University of Augsburg), Charlotte M.D.S. Pavillon (University of Groningen), Anders Schafer (Kammeradvokaten/Poul Schmidt, Copenhagen; University of Copenhagen), Amy J. Schmitz (University of Missouri), John Sorabji (Nine St John Street Chambers; University College London), Henrique Sousa Antunes (Catholic University of Portugal), Egidija Tamosiuniene (Court of Appeal of Lithuania; University of Vilnius), Rudiger Veil (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munich), Maximilian Weiss (TILP Litigation, Kirchentellinsfurt), Tong Zhang (China University of Political Science and Law).

The vast expansion of international trade has greatly increased the incidence of cross-border ownership of assets, both tangible and intangible. It is not uncommon, for instance, for a business to own both physical plant and intellectual property in two or more jurisdictions. Under these circumstances, it is vital for business persons and their counsel to have some knowledge of a variety of relevant domestic legal regimes, particularly in regard to available remedies. This text provides the essential details of such knowledge for 14 important commercial jurisdictions: Argentina, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, England and Wales (United Kingdom), and the US. Each country survey is presented by an experienced business law practitioner in his or her particular jurisdiction. Each chapter's coverage includes discussion of remedies under such security interests as: real estate; fixtures; movables; patents; trademarks; and industrial models and designs. Each author also explains important procedural aspects of many typical phases of ownership, including registration, transfer, sale of an ongoing concern or stock in trade, taxation, trusteeship, and injunction orders. Remedies under private international law are also considered.

There are various methods for taking evidence abroad during litigation. This book examines two of these: obtaining legal documents from a foreign national adversarial party during the main proceedings ('cross-border disclosure'); and obtaining documents with the help of an auxiliary court, with the aim of introducing them as evidence during foreign civil proceedings ('evidence shopping'). It has a particular focus on the situation where a party wants to inspect information that their opponent has confidentially shared with a foreign (in-house) lawyer.In such instances, various questions arise. May the court grant the disclosure order based solely on the procedural law of its state? If so, how should the court determine the applicable law regarding possible legal privilege? Will this be in accordance with the rules of its own state, or should the court apply a foreign state's rules instead? Does it make a difference whether the applicant requests disclosure during the main proceedings, or in the context of civil proceedings that will take place abroad?This book analyses these questions in relation to the U.S. federal, English, French, German and Dutch legal systems. It concludes by proposing a new rule that courts should use for determining the applicable legal privilege law in such cases.

Prescription is a major legal defence that bars civil actions on the claim after the expiry of a certain period of time. Despite its far-reaching practical effects on litigation and on society at large, and the fact that it is the subject matter of pervasive legal reforms in many countries, the law of prescription (limitation of actions) is rarely discussed, analysed and compared. To meet this challenge, this book canvases in-depth the law of 15 selected jurisdictions (covering Europe, South Africa and the US jurisdictions) and extensively analyses in comparative perspective the elements of prescription (accrual of the cause of action, prescription periods, rules of suspension, renewal, extension, etc), their interrelations, and the policy considerations (including economic analysis). Topics also covered include the notions of 'action', 'claim', and 'cause of action', subjective and objective prescription, statute interpretation and judicial discretion. The book concludes with how the present law can be improved and where suitable harmonised. While its main focus is the prescription of tort claims, the analysis, comparison and conclusions are highly relevant to most civil actions. Prescription in Tort Law is the result of a three-year research project lead by the European Group on Tort Law (EGTL) that brings together leading academics of the field. It is an invaluable resource for private lawyers. With contributions by Bjarte Askeland (Bergen Appeal Court Judge, Norway), Ewa Baginska (University of Gdansk, Poland), Jean-Sebastien Borghetti (University Paris II Pantheon-Assas, France), Giovanni Comande (Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Italy), Eugenia Dacoronia (University of Athens, Greece), Isabelle Durant (Universite catholique de Louvain, Belgium), Israel Gilead (Hebrew University, Israel), Michael D Green (Wake Forest University, United States), Ernst Karner (University of Vienna, Austria), Anne LM Keirse (Utrecht University, The Netherlands), Bernhard A Koch (University of Innsbruck, Austria), Frederic Krauskopf (University of Bern, Switzerland), Ulrich Magnus (University of Hamburg, Germany), Miquel Martin-Casals (University of Girona, Spain), Johann Neethling (University of the Free State, South Africa), Elena Occhipinti (University of Pisa, Italy), Ken Oliphant (University of Bristol, United Kingdom), Albert Ruda-Gonzalez (University of Girona, Spain), Stefan Rutten (University of Antwerp), Lubos Tichy (Charles University, Czech Republic) and Benedict Winiger (University of Geneva, Switzerland).

Recent transatlantic relations have been plagued by a seemingly endless series of disputes over trade and other economic and political interests. Some of these disputes have been amongst the most prominent of the WTO era: the Bananas Case, the Beef Hormones Case and the furore over the Helms-Burton Act. This book analyses the sources of transatlantic disputes, and the means employed to prevent and settle such disputes both bilaterally and through the multilateral dispute settlement mechanism of the of the WTO, and identifies promising areas for reform.